Apparatus for cleaning the drawing rollers in spinning machines



Nov. 5, 1968 RbSELE ET AL 3,408,698

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE DRAWING ROLLERS IN SPINNING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1, 1986 FXRsele H. Fischer A. M. Miller INVENTORS Attorney Nov. 5, 1968 F. x. RSELE ET AL 3,408,698

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE DRAWING ROLLERS IN SPINNING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1, 1966 FX.R5sele H. Fischer A,M.Ml'1'lIer IN VEN TORS flaw w 8 Attorney United States Patent Office 3,408,698 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 3,408,698 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE DRAWING ROLLERS IN SPINNING MACHINES Franz Xaver Rosele, Harthausen, and Hans Fischer and Adolf M. Muller, Augsburg, Germany, assignors to Franz X. Rosele and Adolf M. Muller, trading as Univeg G.m.b.H., & Co. KG.

Filed Nov. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 591,275 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 2, 1965, U 12,164; May 9, 1966, U 12,670 Claims. (Cl. 19263) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for cleaning the drawing rollers of spinning machines wherein a cleaning roller having a leather periphery is rotated in contact with the drawing rollers and is disposed in a suction trough so that the lint and fluff picked up by the cleaning roller is entrained in the suction stream of the trough without additional devices to dislodge the lint and fluff; the trough is subdivided by a partition into a pair of compartments including a compartment extending ahead of the cleaning rollers and provided with a perforated cover through which the suction stream draws broken rovings and threads into a trough.

The invention relates to apparatus for cleaning the drawing rollers in spinning machines, and particularly in roving frames, and for removing broken threads or rovings by suction with the aid of mechanical and/or pneumatic cleaning devices.

The removal of broken threads and rovings by suction in spinning machines and roving frames is known. It is also known to combine so-called cleaning rollers with the drawing rollers these cleaning rollers remove the fluff adhering to the drawing rollers and feed it to a suction device. Earlier suction installations have, however, numerous disadvantages as a result of which a continuous and safe operation is made impossible. Thus, for example, it has not been possible heretofore to prevent broken rovings from winding themselves around the drawing roller instead of being picked up by the cleaning roller. It has proved to be a further disadvantage that sagging rovings, not yet broken, may be sucked off, although this is not desirable. Finally, attempts have been made to use mechanical strippers by which the material not removed by the indraft is stripped off the drawing roller, so that it may be removed by suction. It has, however, been found that this has the disadvantage that the material detached by the stripping blade accumulates within a short time and a portion thereof is squeezed through by the drawing roller to form so-called beards downstream of the stripping blade, which beards are detached at periodic intervals thus causing a decrease in the thickness of the yarn.

In accordance with the invention, these disadvantages are removed by combining the cleaning of the cleaning device by suction with a removal of broken threads and roving by suction, a substantial portion of the cleaning roller contacting the drawing rollers being enclosed by a suction trough which on the outlet side of the drawing frame is provided with one or more passages through which the broken rovings or broken threads are drawn in, the construction of the cleaning roller being such as to ensure that the fluff or dust adhering thereto is delivered directly or with the aid of a stripper to the indr-aft (sucking current).

Further features of the invention relate to means by which broken rovings are fed safely to the suction trough and by which the fluff or the like adhering to the cleaning roller is removed within the suction trough.

It has been found to be particularly advantageous for the cleaning roller to be provided with a leather lining. The leather lining consists preferably of roughened neats leather or cowhide.

It has surprisingly been found that the fluff adhering to the drawing rolls can be directly removed by a cleaning roller provided with a leather lining. Since the cleaning roller, to be effective as described above, need merely be inserted in the indraft of the suction installation, the leather lining provided in accordance with the invention completely eliminates difficulties arising with known cleaning rollers which required stripper blades. It has been found that fluff or other impurities adhering to the surface of the leather lining can be removed directly by suction without any additional means having to be provided.

These and further details of the invention are evident from the drawing, in which the invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example, and in which FIGURE 1 is a cross-section through a drawing frame in which a considerable portion of the cleaning roller is enclosed by a suction trough;

FIGURE 2 is a corresponding plan of the drawing frame, and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section through two drawing frames in a roving frame.

FIGURE 1 shows a cleaning roller 5 which, rotating in the direction of the arrow A, lightly contacts the drawing rollers 1 and 2 by which it is driven. A suction trough 11, co-operating with the cleaning roller 5, is so positioned that part of the periphery of the cleaning roller 5 and the entire length thereof are within the suction trough 11 of the suction installation and thus directly within the indraft (current of incoming suction air) of this installation. Perfect suction is ensured by the particular nature of the surface of the cleaning-roller lining 7 which may consist, for example, of cellular rubber which possesses the property of delivering up readily the fibrous material picked up from the drawing rollers 1 and 2. t 1

In order to counteract the disadvantages of'excessive air consumption by the suction slots which extend on both sides over the entire length of the suction trough 11, an air shut-off blade 9 is provided; the blade also extends over the whole length of the suction trough 11 and is secured thereto on the cleaning-roller inlet side of the suction trough 11. The air shut-off blade 9 resiliently contacts the cleaning roller 5 or the lining 7 thereof, may be made of a synthetic resin or other smooth material by which the material 15 adhering to the cleaning-roller lining 7 is allowed to slide into the interior of the suction trough 11 rather than being stripped off. Moreover, the unilateral exclusion of air by the blade 9 results in an increased suction head or vacuum (i.e. reduced pressure) in the suction trough 11, whereby the efficiency of suction from the surface of the roller lining 7 of broken rovings 14, on the side of the suction trough 11 facing the rovings, is substantially improved. The fibrous particles 15 on the cleaning-roller lining 7 continue to adhere to the inlet side of the cleaning-roller lining until they are safely removed by suction from the outlet side by the increased indraft.

On the side of the suction trough 11 facing the rovings, we provide a baffle plate or air baflie 12 which intercepts fibers split off from the rovings, particles of fluff 13, and broken rovings 14. The intercepted material 13 and 14 is entrained by the indraft, gliding over the air baffle 12 in the direction of the arrow B, to the suction slot a of the suction installation, which suction slot is located between the cleaning roller 5 and the suction trough 11. Since the rovings are not sucked off until they are actually broken, sagging or unbroken rovings are prevented from being drawn into the slot. The winding of rovings or fibers" on the drawing-frame roller 1 may be effectively prevented by controlling the peripheral speed of the cleaning roller 5 as'compared with that of the drawing roller 1 by braking or acceleration, so that the material adhering toand winding itself around the drawing roller 1' isstripped off. i

FIGURE 2 isa plan view of a detail of a drawing frame including several spinning positions 19, a built-in cleaning roller 5, and the baflie or air baffle 12 of an associated suction trough 11 with the suction slot for fluff and dust provided between them. By the enlarged portions 20 of the suction slot or passage at the individual spinning positions 19 we are able to ensure that broken rovings of any yarn number are safely drawn away.

FIGURE 3 shows, by way of example, a more detailed construction according to the invention. The two drawing rollers 1, 2 which are in communication with a cleaning roller 5, correspond to those illustrated by way of example in FIGURE 1. The main portion of the cleaning roller 5 is enclosed by a suction trough 11 which serves primarily to remove by suction, fluff or other impurities transferred by the drawing rollers 1 and 2 to the cleaning roller 5.

For this purpose, the cleaning roller 5 is provided with a leather lining 7, preferably of roughened neats leather or cowhide. The leather lining 7 has the ability to remove directly any fluff adhering to the drawing rollers 1 and 2, and to feed the removed fluff to the region of the suction stream trough 11. The vacuum or the suction flowing along the periphery of the cleaning roller 5 is sufficient to remove the fluff or other impurities directly from the leather lining 7.

The drawing shows also an alternative construction according to the invention with respect to the means by which the cleaning roller 5 is driven. The cleaning roller 5 is connected to the preceding drawing roller 4 by a drive 3. The drawing roller 4 has a lower peripheral speed than the drawing rollers 1 and 2, so that a differential speed obtains in the areas of contact between the drawing frame rollers 1 and 2, and the cleaning roller 5. The transfer of fluff and other impurities from the drawing rollers 1 and 2 to the cleaning roller 5 is improved by the slight friction thus produced, even when the cleaning roller 5 is not provided with a leather lining 7.

A further improvement according to the invention is obtained by a modified construction of the suction trough 11. The-suction trough 11 is here provided with a partition 6 which forms two compartments 16 and 17; these compartments, which in the upper part of the suction trough 11 are separated by the partition 6, join in the lower part of the suction trough 11. The larger compartment 16 is closed at its upwardly turned end by a cover plate 8 which is provided with a series of holes 10 through which the broken rovings may be sucked off.

The efficiency of the suction trough 11 is improved by this construction. The volume of the air space around the cleaning roller 5 is considerably reduced by the partition 6 with resultant increased suction velocities in this space, thus, the ability of the device to draw in fluff from the leather lining 7 mother surface of the cleaning roller 5 is facilitated. The cover plate 8 also affords the advantage that broken rovings 14 or broken threads can actually be drawn off through the series of holes 10, while any rovings sagging at the beginning of the work are not picked up by the sucking current. Over and beyond this, the sucked-off broken rovings 14 are prevented from winding themselves around the cleaning roller 5 or the drawing rollers 1, 2.

The particular advantage afforded by the invention resides thus in the fact that it is particularly suitable for use in roving frames, in which the disadvantages of known suction devices are thus avoided.

In the drawings, various constructions according to the invention are combined in order to simplify the disclosure of the invention. In accordance with the invention, any part of the'invention may beapplied individually or in combination with others, the invention being thus by no means limited to the combination of all of the features disclosed.

We claimz v 1. An apparatus for cleaning the drawing rollers of a spinning machine comprising a cleaning roller having an axis parallel to that of the drawing rollers and rotatable in surface contact therewith while having a surface adapted to take up fluff and lint on said drawing rollers and to release the fluff and lint to an air stream; a suction trough partially enclosing said cleaning roller, said suction trough having wall means forming a suction opening between said wall means and the surface of said cleaning roller and forming a suction compartment; and means for evacuating air from said trough to induce an intake air current through said opening while stripping fluff and lint from the surface of said cleaning roller, said suction compartment being provided with a perforated cover disposed upstream of said opening beyond said drawing rollers in the direction of movement of said intake current for drawing broken rovings and threads through the perforations of said cover in said trough.

2. An apparatus for cleaning the drawing rollers of spinning machines and for removing broken threads and rovings by suction, comprising in combination: a drawing frame having drawing rollers, a cleaning roller in contact with the drawing rollers, a suction trough and means generating an intake air current therein, said suction trough partially enclosing said cleaning roller and forming therewith a passage on the outlet side of the drawing frame for drawing in the broken rovings and threads, the cleaning roller rotating to deliver fluff and dust adhering thereto to the intake current within the suction trough, partition means forming a pair of intersecting compartments in said passage, and a perforated plate covering at least a portion of said passage, through which broken rovings and broken threads are drawn into said trough.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the cleaning roller is provided with a leather lining.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the cleaning roller is lined with roughened neats leather.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the cleaning roller is lined with cowhide.

'6. An apparatus according to claim 2 further cornprising a battle extending outwardly from said trough beyond said drawing rollers and therebelow while forming a suction slot.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the slot is widened below regions at which the rovings are engaged by said drawing rollers.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a blade on the suction trough extending over the entire length of the drawing rollers and restricting the flow of air between the suction trough and the cleaning roller in the region of said blade.

9. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the peripheral speed of the cleaning roller is different from that of the drawing rollers.

10. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the 3,408,698 5 cleaning roller is driven by one of the drawing rollers of a preceding drawing frame. 554,010 1/1957 Belgium 665,201 1/ 1952 Great Britain. References Clted 965,414 7/1964 Great Britain. UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 990,763 4/1965 Great Britain.

1,023,262 12/ 1952 France. 895,131 8/1908 Williams et a1. 19-264 1 402 20 5 19 5 Fran 2,688,778 9/1954 Kalwaites 19263 g i Prlmary Examlner' 3,074,121 1/1963 et aL 19 2 3 10 I. C. WADDEY, Assistant Examiner.

FOREIGN PATENTS 

